Increased chance of Northern Lights sightings

Louise Cooper

The chances of spotting the Aurora Borealis should increase over the next few days, according to space weather experts.

According to the British Geological Survey, elevated geomagnetic activity caused by a high-speed solar wind will take place over the next few days.

The aurora occurs when the solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - interact with the Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field.

The wind stream is caused by a ‘coronal hole’ which has rotated round the sun to face the earth. The previous two occurrences of this coronal hole have resulted in enhanced geomagnetic activity, although in the UK sightings of the Northern Lights were restricted by cloud cover.

However, aurora experts are hopeful that clear, dark skies may increase the chances of seeing the aurora, particularly in Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland.